Price, Reg: my Bomber Command experience (March 17, 2015)
PublicAn interview/narrative of Reg Price's experiences with Bomber Command during World War II. Interview took place on March 17, 2015.
ABSTRACT: Military Oral History Project Interview Summary Narrator: Mr. Reg Price Title: My Bomber Command Experience Interviewer: Interviewed by Isobelle Carey Extent 1 sound recording (m4a) 42:46 file size (89.8MB) Interview Date and Location 17 March 2015, Victoria BC Synopsis: Mr. Price grew up in Saskatchewan and moved to Ontario before joining the RCAF. His father was previously in the military during WWI in the Oxford Rifles and encouraged him to join the military however he was inclined to join the Air Force rather than the Army due to the opportunity to fly a plane. Living in Canada at the time would have given him limited opportunity to do this. He trained initially in Victoriaville, Quebec and this program consisted of mainly Canadians. Although he was aware of the dangers of flying in Bomber Command, this did not affect his decision. Before each operation the crews were not told where the target was until right before they took off, however they could approximately figure it out by using the amount of fuel provided. The targets were not over-difficult to find once the pathfinders had gone before his crew. The tracking mechanism that was used by their crew was easy to use however it was later known that it could also be used by the Germans to find their position. He flew in Halifax’s and Lancaster’s but there was not much difference between operations of these two. If bombs were not used during each operation they were dropped where they would do most good. Engine problems were infrequent but were dealt with by flying back to base. Mr. Price took part in the Nuremburg raid, however he feels that at the time he was unaware of how significant it was until a few years ago when he read about it. Because of the limited debriefing there was no significant effect on crew morale. During recreational time, he stayed with his crewmembers. After returning to Canada, he wanted to continue flying and the RAF was recruiting Canadian members. He then went back for a further four years training. A particular incident that stands out in his mind was a leaflet drop over France where they strayed off course and were shot at by AA gunners. His identity as a Canadian did not have a significant difference apart from on payday when his pay was different to the rest of his crewmembers. He did not witness or hear of any incidents with LMFs that he could recall. Due to a mix-up with the significance of certain operations, his tour of duty was 31 operations as opposed to the regular 30. Ending statement. 00:00 – Growing up in Saskatchewan and Ontario 02:21 – Family military experience – Oxford Rifles 03:53 – Reason for joining the RCAF 05:07 – Training in Victoriaville, Quebec 06:40 – Nationalities in the training programs 07:10 – Canadian identity within the RAF 07:34 – Assembly of aircrews 08:37 – Feelings on potential for losses 09:09 – Preparation for each operation – judgment by fuel load 10:25 – Finding targets during operation 11:35 – Technology used during missions – tracking by Germans 12:50 – Aircraft used 14:30 – Dropping unused bombs – finding secondary targets 15:21 – Dealing with engine problems 18:05 – Relationship between crewmembers – NZ, Aus. and RAF 18:50 – Operations at night 19:40 – Nuremberg Raid participation 21:01 – Morale and debriefing 22:01 – Concern for effectiveness of the bombing 22:50 – Recreational time between operations and extended leave 26:10 – Transition back to Canadian life 26:56 – Returning to England for the RAF 32:40 – Nickeling operation over France 33:45 – Identification as a Canadian – payday in RCAF 35:57 – LMF 37:15 – Number of tours completed 39:30 – Closing statement Subject Key Words Ontario; Oxford Rifles; Victoriaville, Quebec; RCAF; RAF; Bomber Command; Flight Training; Nuremburg Raid; Canada; LMF; Nickeling; Germany; France; Lincolnshire, UK; WWII
Interviewee: Price, Reg
Interviewer: Carey, Isobelle
- In Collection:
- 1 sound recording (MP3)
- 51.5, 10.5
- 48.4359, -123.35155
- Original sound recording (M4A) also available.
- Canadian Military Oral History Collection
- PR_813
- Special Collections Finding Aid: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/military-oral-history-collection
- May 6, 2015
- Digital sound recording in .mp3 format at 128 kbps. Recorded in digital format by interviewer, technical and cataloguing metadata provided by JF and JP. Interview recorded in digital format for UVic Special Collections in 2015. Migration metadata by KD and MT.
- Rights
- This interview has been posted with the understanding that it may be used for research purposes only. Should the interviewee or their heirs have any objections to this interview being accessible on the Internet, it will be removed promptly. Contact UVic Special Collections for permission if using for other than research purposes: speccoll@uvic.ca
- DOI
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